Childlessness in men is associated with impairment of kidney function. A new study presented in the journal Scientific Reports reports impaired filtration quality in the kidneys in infertility as well as proteinuria. The authors of the study from the University of Lund, Sweden, took data from 11,602 participants, of which 47% were men suffering from infertility. Low levels of glomerular filtration (below 60 mL/min/1.73m2) were observed in 3.1% of them, while in those not suffering from sterility the percentage was 2.3. Proteinuria occurs in 7.1% of men suffering from infertility and in 4.9% of the others. The glomerular filtration rate of the kidneys shows how efficiently they perform their function. Normally functioning kidneys show a filtration rate above 90, and with advancing age, the indicator can drop – according to data from the National Kidney Foundation in the US, after the age of 70, the average glomerular filtration rate is 75. When the filtration index falls between 90 and 60 is considered possible kidney damage with mild loss of kidney function. A drop below 60 is indicative of more severe kidney function impairment, with a score below 15 indicating kidney failure. Proteinuria is a condition indicating the presence of excess protein in the urine. High test results for proteinuria mean that the kidney’s filtration system is not working properly and proteins are being passed into the urine. A large amount of protein in the urine is associated with impaired kidney function and risk of kidney failure. In addition to problems with kidney function, male infertility is also associated with other complications. Research, such as this from scientists at the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan from 2022, shows that infertility is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and hyperglycemia. Elevated blood sugar levels, as seen in diabetes, can also have an inverse relationship with male infertility. A scientific paper from Jiao Tong University in China describes how sperm quality criteria such as motility and DNA integrity are affected in the presence of diabetes. In addition to problems with other systems in the body, infertility is also associated with an increased risk of testicular and prostate cancer. References: Souza, H. Infertile men more likely to have impaired kidney function, study says. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240404/Infertile-men-more-likely-to-have-impaired-kidney-function-study-says.aspx Kitlinski, M. Prevalence of impaired renal function among childless men as compared to fathers: a population-based study. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-58479-9 National Kidney Foundation. eGFR. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr#about-estimated-glomerular-rate-egfr Chen, P. Male Infertility Increases the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9253797/ Ding, G.The effects of diabetes on male fertility and epigenetic regulation during spermatogenesis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814953/#sec1-5title